MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN-WI — 27.62% locality adjustment · Ranks 16th of 58 pay areas
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $28,822 | $29,788 | $30,746 | $31,701 | $32,657 | $33,217 | $34,165 | $35,120 | $35,159 | $36,050 |
| GS-2 | $32,407 | $33,177 | $34,252 | $35,159 | $35,552 | $36,598 | $37,643 | $38,688 | $39,733 | $40,778 |
| GS-3 | $35,361 | $36,540 | $37,719 | $38,899 | $40,078 | $41,257 | $42,436 | $43,615 | $44,795 | $45,974 |
| GS-4 | $39,694 | $41,017 | $42,340 | $43,664 | $44,987 | $46,311 | $47,634 | $48,958 | $50,281 | $51,604 |
| GS-5 | $44,410 | $45,891 | $47,371 | $48,852 | $50,332 | $51,812 | $53,293 | $54,773 | $56,254 | $57,734 |
| GS-6 | $49,505 | $51,155 | $52,805 | $54,455 | $56,106 | $57,756 | $59,406 | $61,056 | $62,706 | $64,356 |
| GS-7 | $55,012 | $56,846 | $58,680 | $60,514 | $62,347 | $64,181 | $66,015 | $67,849 | $69,683 | $71,517 |
| GS-8 | $60,923 | $62,954 | $64,984 | $67,015 | $69,045 | $71,075 | $73,106 | $75,136 | $77,167 | $79,197 |
| GS-9 | $67,290 | $69,534 | $71,777 | $74,021 | $76,264 | $78,508 | $80,752 | $82,995 | $85,239 | $87,482 |
| GS-10 | $74,101 | $76,571 | $79,040 | $81,510 | $83,979 | $86,449 | $88,918 | $91,387 | $93,857 | $96,326 |
| GS-11 | $81,415 | $84,130 | $86,844 | $89,559 | $92,273 | $94,988 | $97,702 | $100,417 | $103,131 | $105,845 |
| GS-12 | $97,582 | $100,835 | $104,088 | $107,341 | $110,594 | $113,847 | $117,100 | $120,353 | $123,606 | $126,859 |
| GS-13 | $116,038 | $119,907 | $123,775 | $127,643 | $131,511 | $135,379 | $139,247 | $143,116 | $146,984 | $150,852 |
| GS-14 | $137,123 | $141,694 | $146,265 | $150,837 | $155,408 | $159,979 | $164,551 | $169,122 | $173,693 | $178,265 |
| GS-15 | $161,291 | $166,668 | $172,045 | $177,421 | $182,798 | $188,174 | $193,551 | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Minneapolis locality salary feeds directly into your FERS High-3 average, which sets your pension for life. Use the GS Pay Calculator to see your exact salary and projected pension by grade, step, and locality.
The MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN-WI pay area carries a 27.62% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #16 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $116,038 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $25,113 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 27.62%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN-WI geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase. This pay area is also commonly searched as St. Paul and the Twin Cities.
Within the Midwest region, Minneapolis sits 5.47 points above the Midwest average of 22.15%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Minneapolis earns $9,601 more per year — $116,038 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $44,410 at GS-5, $67,290 at GS-9, $116,038 at GS-13, and $161,291 at GS-15.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. In Minneapolis, GS-15 steps 8–10 are capped at $197,200, so the published step increases stop translating into real pay at that point. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.
2026 locality-adjusted salaries for the grades that cover most of the federal workforce. Jump to a grade:
A GS-7 in Minneapolis — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $55,012 on Step 1, reaches $62,347 at Step 5, and tops out at $71,517 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Minneapolis — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $67,290 on Step 1, reaches $76,264 at Step 5, and tops out at $87,482 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Minneapolis — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $81,415 on Step 1, reaches $92,273 at Step 5, and tops out at $105,845 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Minneapolis — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $97,582 on Step 1, reaches $110,594 at Step 5, and tops out at $126,859 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Minneapolis — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $116,038 on Step 1, reaches $131,511 at Step 5, and tops out at $150,852 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Minneapolis — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $137,123 on Step 1, reaches $155,408 at Step 5, and tops out at $178,265 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Minneapolis — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $161,291 on Step 1, reaches $182,798 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 27.62% Minneapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Minneapolis is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Minneapolis are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Minneapolis salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Minneapolis rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Minneapolis’s 27.62% adjustment.
Comparing offers across localities? The GS Pay Calculator models any grade, step, and locality combination, and the FERS Estimator shows what each option is worth as lifetime pension income. See all 58 pay areas for the full list.